Toy Unboxing Videos and the Mimetic Production of Play

Abstract

The paper analyses the role of young children in YouTube toy unboxing videos, where children and adults unbox various commercial toys and discuss, play, or perform narratives with them. Drawing on a content analysis approach, the paper shows how child “amateur” unboxers mimic the production and branding strategies of more “professional” channels, whilst in turn “professional” channels seek to produce a semblance of playful amateur authenticity. The paper approaches these practices through the lens of mimesis as it is understood in the critical literature around children’s play and participatory digital culture.